Lost Heaven
by Shaun Garin
Summary: Element EU based on Element Fire. Multi-cross: Ben 10, Juniper Lee, Stargate SG1. To every lost world, there's a lost heaven. A tale of war and sacrifice in a world familiar to some, but so alien to others.


_**Lost Heaven – Element EU**_

_*****_

_*****_

"I'm back…?"

Meridian. It was still the same with its sights and smells. The smell of farmland, the rustle of grass in the air… Aldarn barrelling at him like a fright train—wait what?!

"CALEB!"

Caleb was literally bowled over by his friend who tackled him to the ground. The pair rolled about before coming to a stop in a hay pile. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" demanded Aldarn. "We were worried SICK about you! Is Queen Elyon all right?!"

"Whoa, take it easy Aldarn! Yeah, she's fine. Why?"

"Cause MIRANDA vanished a month ago!"

Caleb realized what that meant. "FUCK!"

*

*

"Can't rest, can you?"

Caleb whirled, one hand going for his D-Reader which wasn't there. Instead, a man dressed in white and green robes glided out into the moonlight as he raised his hood. "Hello Caleb."

"… Mr. X?" inquired Caleb, surprised to see Xanatos dressed in the garb of one of the Council of Kandrakar. "Wha…?"

Xanatos smiled a little, placing a finger to his lips. "I'm not here," he said. "I need you to do something for me."

Caleb felt a sense of dread coming on. "You're kidding right? I just got back from the Digital World. Everyone ELSE is there."

"That's why you're here," replied Xanatos smoothly as he reached into his robes and placed a small glass bead on the table. "Beautiful isn't it? It's a Timeline. One that you may remember well."

The glass ball displayed people in pain, a war, something that wasn't supposed to happen on earth at all. "The Timeline that everyone forgot? Why…?"

"It's threatening to break free. If it does, it'll destroy this timeline."

Caleb stared at it for a long moment. And then sighed. "What do you want me to do?"

*

*

"He says Xanatos sent him," stated a familiar voice. Caleb sighed. He knew rebellions were high strung, but was he EVER this high strung before?

"We can't take the risk he's just an astral drop with a little magic in him," added another voice. "Get rid of him."

"Oh c'mon," protested Caleb. "Is that the best you can do?"

"You shouldn't talk when you've still got lips for it," snapped a battle-worn version of himself.

"If you're going to cut my tongue out, I'm not going to be happy with both of us." Deadpanned Caleb.

Hours passed and Caleb finally got free of his bonds. "Geez I hate magic ropes."

*

*

"I need your help," said Caleb as he entered the Mages' lair. "Ma…"

"And why should I?" replied Nerissa sourly. "You rebuked my help once before, and the price was dear. Why else should I help you?"

"Because I'm your son and I care?"

"…"

"Ma… I need your help. No one ELSE can do this except you. Your magic will wake HIM up. I can't let this go on, not without some kind of power to right what's WRONG."

"… don't make me regret this." And Nerissa aimed a hand at Caleb. "QUINTESSENCE!"

*

*

"These rebels are all the same," purred Wuya as she hovered overhead. "A shame really Bean that we must crush them in order to procede."

"Time well spent my dear," drawled Bean. "Without crushing the rebels, we may yet have a chance to—"

Suddenly, an entire battalion exploded.

"We're under attack!" cried out one of the soldiers as another battalion died under the fury of a gravidic bomb.

High above, a man pushed his hood back and a sneer was on his face. "Sorry about the wait – I needed to get my battle suit."

"SANDERS!" screamed Wuya, launching herself at the man who aimed a palm. Wuya fell to the ground, smoking.

"Run Bean, RUN."

*

*

"This is more than just fighting, you're brutalizing everything that stands in your way," snapped Julian.

"You wanted the war to be won, so I'm winning it," replied Sanders coldly.

"Caleb—"

"SANDERS," replied Sanders testily. "The weak link in my soul called Caleb is no longer here. You wanted someone who could level mountains so I'm here to clean them up." Pushing the tent flap open, he walked away.

Julian sighed as Max patted his friends shoulder. "He's right you know. In a twisted way, this is what we wanted."

"I know Max, but… is it really worth it? In the last two months he's levelled countless villages and armies. But the price is dear. Your own granddaughter Gwen, sacrificed her own mortal life to become an Anodine, just to save everyone caught in an attack. I was right: he is a loose cannon."

*

*

"Hail the murdering hero," snapped Cash as he was attended to by JP. Sanders glared at him. "You know you're just as bad as the rest. You claim to be here to save us, but all I see is a guy sinking into his own self-pity."

"Cash—"

"Can it, JP!" Getting to his feet, Cash marched over and grabbed Sanders by his robe, hauling him close. "You said you came to save us. That you're from the world that is RIGHT. And yet you let yourself be consumed by pity, by rage and by fate. So what if you're the embodiment of darkness? That doesn't give you the RIGHT TO DICTATE OUR LIVES."

Sanders glared at Cash and Cash glared back. Then, Sanders wrestled Cash's hand away. "You wouldn't understand. NONE of you do."

*

*

"Had enough?"

Sanders ignored Bean.

"You know, you could always come to OUR side. We'd be MORE than happy to show you the true power you're missing."

"I'm already the embodiment of darkness. What more do I need?" retorted Sanders.

"Power. Glory. The chance to make things right but on OUR terms. What do you say? Shall we have a drink?"

Sanders struck the soup out of Bean's hands. "I would rather DIE than do such a thing!"

"Oh HOOOOOO! You really ARE noble under that cruel exterior! A pity." Instantly, a thousand men rose from the swamp. "This means you got to die. Sorry about this son."

*

*

"I killed Bean, Elyon."

Sanders sat next to the sleeping queen, hands in his face. "I tore him apart, vaporized him. But I can hear him. I can hear his thoughts and his words. I can smell him in the air."

Elyon didn't reply. She couldn't. Her life hung by a thread.

"I'm tired Elyon. I don't… know if this world will survive without me… but I know that it can. But I have to stop the war; that's why I got mom's help. But… is it really good, giving into all of this darkness?"

Sanders settled down on the crate. "Yeah, I guess you're right. In the end, all there, is silence."

*

*

"How do you deal with it?"

"Me?" inquired Daniel as he looked up at Sanders, the man wrapped in his cloak. Daniel tossed another book on the fire; the last fuel in the ruined city of Los Angeles. "I survive, as much as anyone. SG1 is working on getting reinforcements, so I have to stay here, with the resistance."

"That's not what I'm asking. How can you deal knowing I go out and murder thousands of troops a day, to end a war?"

Daniel looked up and said, "That's something you're going to have to know on your own. I can't pass judgement."

Sanders looked at his hands. They were still red from the blood he spilt during the early morning assault. Silently, he tucked his hands into his robes.

*

*

"I was once noble," stated Chase Young as he encircled Sanders. "But the soup, well… it gave me new purpose."

"That was supposed to happen, but centuries ago. This is where it finally ends."

"Really? I didn't think we were planning on ending this dance any time soon," retorted Chase as he lunged forward with a furious series of strikes that left Sanders gasping. "Your form is weak, your magic weaker. You're terrified of me."

"No…" Sanders coughed. "Just… frustrated that Matt isn't here to deal with this!"

"So I can kill you both where you stand?"

"No. By now… he would have sprung the trap."

*

*

"His heartbeat is weak. But he did it."

"Young was the last of them," stated Matt. "It's all over now."

"Not yet." Caleb looked at Sanders who slumbered against the tree, a sword stuck through his body. "We have to pass him on. Otherwise, he'll just rise up and take what is his."

"Dude, we can't. You're just… well…" Matt indicated the chain that lead to Sanders, hanging from Caleb's shoulders.

"I know. I'm tethered to him. But if this is the price to pay… at least I'll be reunited with everyone."

"Maybe not. There's still one last option."

Ben raised his hand, and slapped the Omnitrix.

*

*

"What's this about passing judgement?" inquired Caleb as Sanders tried to wriggle free of his bonds.

"Can it string bean, you're outvoted," snapped Bellicus as Daniel rolled his eyes. "All in favor?"

Everyone raised their hands.

"All opposed?"

No one raised a hand. Except Sanders and he was glared at.

"Motion Carried. Separation Returning Power Activated."

[The End?]


End file.
